This paper describes a one-semester high school course which introduces students to well-written contemporary novels in which the main character is an adolescent. Eight novels are read, and five of these are the core of the course: "The Catcher in the Rye,""A Separate Peace,""The Temple of Gold,""The Man Without a Face," and "Night." The students discuss these books in terms of various literary concepts such as plot, conflict, setting, tone, style, symbolism, characterization, point of view, and theme. A number of writing assignments are eventually based on these terms. Students also read and report on a novel of their choice. Other aspects of the course, such as writing assignments, class discussions, creative projects, short and feature-length films, and student-written evaluations of the course are discussed. (TS)